We would also like to thank everyone for coming for his birthday party last week. Everyone here had a great time!

Bone growth was excellent, and he’s well on his way to full recovery. No second cast needed. All clear, he’s OK, and we can go home and be normal again!

Though his radius still looks crooked in the x-ray, we’re told that it will straighten back out fully on its own, growing and shedding bone as necessary to adjust to the correct positioning. At his age, we’re told that takes 3-4 months or so. The bone growth is very obvious in the x-ray; you can see a large mass of new growth covering the areas where the break occurred.

The skin on his arm is a little bit chapped and dry, but that will resolve itself in no time as well with a bath and some lotion.

One other thing we’ll be watching is whether he goes back to being a right-handed eater like he was before the cast; he’s gotten pretty used to eating as a lefty lately, with both his hands and with utensils.

We went out to eat after his cast removal, and he kept raising both arms and dancing to the music. I think he’s happy to have his arm back. He’s still being a little bit guarded with it, but it’s just become habit these last few weeks from not using it fully; he’ll get over that quickly. He was giving high-fives and scratching his head and ear at dinner… and quite pleased with himself. Yay!

Benjamin wrote his first-ever letter to Santa to put out with the cookies and milk last night on Christmas Eve. Or, rather, Dad asked Benjamin what he wanted to say to Santa, Benjamin told Dad, and Dad wrote most of it, except for a couple of bits Benjamin insisted he write himself; he focused so very hard writing the bits he did, and it was incredibly cute…

Dear Santa,

Merry Christmas!

Hi. I’ve been a good boy this year. My brother Zachary was a good boy this year, too.

[Benjamin scribbles, saying each word out loud as he slowly, carefully writes...] (”It’s a good cookie.”)

Mommy has been a good girl, and Daddy was a good guy. Owen and Ollie and Laura and Lydia were good, too. Nana and Papa were good, too.

Merry Christmas.

[Benjamin scribbles, saying each word out loud as he slowly, carefully writes...] (”I was a good boy.”)

Santa, thank you for the presents.

We love you, Santa.

– Benjamin, Zachary, Mommy, Daddy and Yoda… (and [long list of cousins, aunts and uncles here])

Bye!

Awesome, right?  :)

We hope you had a great 2008…and we hope you have an even better 2009. Take care, everyone–we love you all.

Benjamin’s first snow angel, created 20 December 2008, in our front yard.

Image manipulated slightly to enhance the imprint.

Initially, in the early evening of December 16th, both he and Benjamin were sitting in the chair together. Benjamin got down to do something else. Zachary leaned over the side of the chair to see where his brother went, and boom, down he went.

He wasn’t acting like he’d broken anything. He rarely cries as it is, so it was hard to really determine if there was something seriously wrong or if he had just scared himself. Until the next morning, anyway, when we started to notice he wasn’t putting weight on his arm… He was climbing up the stairs, but using his right elbow instead of his entire arm. He was grabbing at things and picking things up, trying to use his arm and his hand, but heavy things (like a full sippy cup or a book) were things he couldn’t hold, and he was dropping them. Uh-oh.

The fall was less than a foot and a half to the floor. Really. He apparently landed Just Right™. He’s certainly had bigger, more dramatic falls before…

So we called our pediatrician, who normally offers appointments same-day for the serious stuff. We couldn’t get in; our doc was apparently on a half-day, and there just weren’t any slots open. Very disappointing (thanks, nurse!). Ended up with an appointment with him the following morning, got some x-rays, and confirmed a clean break of his right radius. Plain as day to see on the x-ray. After some calling around, he finally tracked down a orthopedic specialist who could see him and cast the arm.

Anyway, the arm is casted. The break, it turns out, is both bones in his right forearm, and not just the radius. The ulna is also fractured; it wasn’t as obvious on the x-ray, but the ortho doctor noticed it right away. No setting of the bones was required; straightforward, clean breaks. The cast is waterproof, and the lining under it is Gore-Tex, so he can take baths and even go swimming. He’s already had a couple of baths, and the water runs right out and it’s not been a problem at all.

You’ll notice he was casted up past his elbow; casts on kids can (and do) fall or slip off, or get pried/pulled off, so they go ahead and cast past the elbow to help hold the thing in place and prevent accidental removal/separation. Zachary would definitely try to pull it off, or at least play with it until it came off.

We were told bones heal at the rate of approximately 1week per year of age. So Zachary’s arm should be OK in about a week and a half. That’s… amazing.

We have an appointment again in three weeks to remove the cast, take another batch of x-rays to confirm it’s healed, and hopefully be done. Let’s hope so! It’s been a couple of days now since he got the cast, and he’s definitely felt frustrated. The red-PJ pic here is a great example from his first day with his cast: when he can’t reach something, or can’t put his right hand to his mouth to eat or touch his face at all, he gets a little upset. Can’t blame him… For the most part, though, he’s adjusting just fine. We knew he would; it’s just What He Does™.

Neither Mom nor Dad have been casted before, so we really were not directly familiar with the process. Turns out it’s quite simple and pretty quick. We’re trying hard not to feel like bad parents, of course. These things happen, and there’s really nothing you can do to stop them. We live, we learn, we keep on going, and growing as a result. :)

It’s worth noting (again) that Zachary is pulling really, really hard on Santa’s very real beard in this picture. Poor St. Nick… That look on his face? Pure pain. We apologized, of course, but it was pretty darn funny…

It’s strange looking at this picture, as both kids have grown up so much since it was taken. Zachary’s walking now. Benjamin’s in gymnastics classes, knows all his numbers and letters… Their growth this past year has been pretty amazing.

More holiday pictures on the way as we get them processed and uploaded. Those of you that end up with our photo Christmas card–going out Any Day Now™–we hope you enjoy that, too.  Happy Holidays!

It’s been a really interesting year this past year having a second child. Mostly, it’s been challenging, trying to wrangle two boys instead of one. It’s really not even close to twice the work… it’s more like four times the work. It’s important to understand, though, that it’s been totally, totally worth all of it.

Zachary is an amazing, expressive boy. Smiles and laughs all the time. Really easy-going and mellow. He’s not yet walking (which Benjamin had been doing for a couple months or so at this point in his life), but he’s cruising, standing a lot, and definitely wants to walk. He’s getting there, and it likely won’t be long at all.

Not much else to say, really. Zachary’s a great kid, and we’re really happy we have him. Benjamin loves him to death, and Zachary certainly loves his big brother. We couldn’t be happier or more proud of them both.

Party on Saturday Sunday!

Update: The party was a great success! Thanks everyone for coming, sending cards, calling, etc. We really appreciate it!

He’s only 8 weeks old, fresh from the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee (picked him up July 13th). Very playful, very cuddly, very happy kitty. Benjamin and Zachary are going nuts with him so far, really enjoying him, and Yoda’s very interested in them, too.

The Yoda name, well… it was sort of thrown out there by Dad as a joke, but Benjamin (who knows nothing of Star Wars…yet!) latched onto it immediately and decided it was the perfect name.

For those that remember our last cat, it was a kitten Mom received at age 6 and a faithful companion and pet for her (and later Dad as well) for over 20 years.  She’s been gone now for about four years, and it’s only been in the last year or so that Mom’s felt ready again for another cat. The only requirement was that any new feline not look like or be named after her. Fair enough.

Soooo, Yoda makes…five, and our family continues to grow.

Mom held him still, but he was pretty well-behaved, really, most of the time. Remember, he’s not quite 9 months old yet.;)

Thanks to his great-aunt Diane for doing the work!

UPDATE:  We thought you might enjoy a ‘before’ picture (from the week prior to his cut):

and an ‘after’ picture from right after the cut:

Awesome!

First and most importantly, Benjamin really enjoyed himself. It’s not at all uncommon that he enjoys himself; he always manages to find something fun to do. But this was something new, and it got kind of dark, and it wasn’t anything he was familiar with as experiences go…but he adapted well and settled right in. There were moments where Vlad the Vulture spooked him into asking to go potty when he really didn’t need to. Benjamin sat in his own seat (with a theater-provided booster) and held the giant box of popcorn for the whole family, the entire movie.

There were also moments when he asked to go potty and needed to; he was still clean and dry when the movie was over, which was great considering the kid’s not yet even 2.5 years old. Yes, his parents are proud…

Unsurprisingly, Zachary enjoyed the movie a bit less. It wasn’t so much a matter of not enjoying the movie, because he wasn’t even really watching it; it was more a matter of having just been breastfed prior to the previews and then wanting to nap when the surroundings were unfamiliar and a bit, umm, animated… He did finally go to sleep, and everything worked out fine after that.

All in all, a great experience, and a great afternoon at a matinee show (and at a theatre worth supporting!). Mom and Dad enjoyed the movie as well. Mom in particular was laughing out loud at the song and dance bit at the end.

We’ll definitely be doing it again!

It went really well; he really enjoyed the peas, happily smacking his lips with each spoonful. His reaction to the first taste was more like “hey, what IS that, I don’t know that!”, but he had already recovered by his very next bite.

We’ll do peas for a few more days (4 days per food starting out, according to the pediatrician, to stay on top of any possible allergic reactions), and then switch it up a bit with some sweet potatoes or something.

And in case you’ve forgotten or are trying to remember, Benjamin’s first real food was peas, too…

And yes, Zachary is six months old today, too. Where does the time go?

It wasn’t much earlier tonight, but it was enough. About a tablespoon of dry rice cereal, mixed with breastmilk, fairly thinly. For his first time, it probably seemed like a lot to him! He wasn’t quite as adept as Benjamin was at taking it in his first time, but he did a pretty good job for his first time.

Benjamin started rice cereal right around five months, too. And yeah, our pediatrician told us at four months to start, with both kids, but we waited both times because we’ve read solids shouldn’t start until at least six months, or later. Both were (and Zachary continues to be) breastfed, so we feel fine with it all.

Anyway, we’re pretty excited to be moving into Zachary’s next big phase of existence.

From everyone here, we hope you had a great year in 2007,
and we wish you all the best in 2008!

He’s looking and doing great! He is still looking older than he really is–probably around 6 months old in appearance due to his size. He’s not at all fat, he’s just… more developed. People can’t believe he’s as young as he is for the size he is…and of course given his headstart being so big at birth, it’s not really that surprising!

He’s doing a lot more looking around, babbling, recognizing voices and faces, and in the last couple of days, he seems to have noticed that he has feet. Very cool. He’s such a mellow, easy-going baby… He found his thumb a couple of weeks ago now, so he self-soothes as necessary, and puts himself to sleep. He’s ticklish, and giggles. He can relax on his own for incredible lengths of time compared to his older brother at the same age. He can also roll over to his side already… and from the looks of things, it won’t be too much longer before he’s all the way over. Wow!

Yes, pictures (and more…!) are coming!

It’s not a ton of pictures, but it’s a start, and we hope to keep the pictures coming, of both Zachary and Benjamin. Please keep checking back for more!

And remember, you can always contact us anytime, or register with us here and leave us comments on these pictures, or any pictures or anything else we post here…and basically keep in touch with us. We hope to hear from you!

]]> http://www.benjaminfalkenberg.com/2007/10/12/a-few-pictures/feed/ 0 Weigh-in Fresh-squeezed, but slightly bruised Welcome, Zachary! Proud Mama! Benjamin's happy to see Mama again The family Zachary and his Nana Zachary and his Papa Proudest Big Brother Ever First kisses! Benjamin can't believe he's real Just happy to be here... Peacefully sleeping Found it! (first time) Proud Mama again He really can sleep. Benjamin helps with Zachary's socks Yay, bathtime! Heh. Yay, bathtime over! Mom's favorite thing Our bright-eyed Zachary http://www.benjaminfalkenberg.com/2007/09/25/zachary-alexander-is-born/ http://www.benjaminfalkenberg.com/2007/09/25/zachary-alexander-is-born/#comments Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:20:31 +0000 Stacey and Alex http://www.benjaminfalkenberg.com/2007/09/25/zachary-alexander-is-born/ We’re so very proud to announce the birth of our second child and latest son! 

He was born at 1258am on Sept. 24th, 2007, weighing in at a somewhat large-ish 11lbs 11oz, and 22 inches long! He did great, Mom did great (though there was no shortage at all of drama during delivery), and we’re already home, a full day early. Benjamin’s already very accepting of his new little brother, offering him kisses and hugs and patting and rubbing his head, holding his hands, etc. It’s really great to see them get along so well already. We spent a lot of time seeding the idea of a baby and brother into Benjamin’s head, and it appears, so far, to have really worked out well.

More pictures and a birth story will eventually follow. Thanks to everyone for their support and interest these last many months! We really appreciate it!

We scheduled another NST and OB visit for this Monday and again this next Thursday, as necessary. We were told that they don’t let anyone go over 42 weeks, so by the end of this coming week at the latest, we should have our new addition. The OB we saw prior to this last visit seemed to indicate we’d be moving along into the induction phase much more quickly than we are, so who knows. Seeing a variety of OBs in the end-stage of it all seems rather ineffective.

Stacey’s been increasingly uncomfortable lately, so she may well progress on her own just fine. We’re all getting impatient, though…

Again, more as we know it.

For those curious, the non-stress test involved Stacey relaxing in a recliner and being hooked up to a monitor with two straps across the belly; one tracks contractions, and the other measures the heartbeat of the baby. Basically the same setup you get when you’re admitted to labor/delivery so they can monitor the baby. Stacey was also given a little button to press every time she felt the baby move.

The test was probably 20-30 minutes long. For Dad, with Benjamin there pulling on curtains and running out the room and down the hall into other exam rooms, it felt more like 2 hours! He wanted to interact with his mom and be up in her lap, which of course couldn’t happen…so he was getting a little impatient and frustrated. A box of raisins helped…

We’ll have another NST on Thursday and see the OB again. I’m sure the topic of induction will come up…and I guess we really aren’t sure what to do. On the one hand, we’re eager to see our new addition, but on the other hand, we don’t want to shorten any additional development time in the womb he might need. One thing’s for sure: Stacey’s tired and sore and ready to be done.

We’ll do a pregnancy update again after our Thursday appointment, assuming nothing happens sooner. We obviously hope something happens sooner…

Thanks to everyone that’s sent us messages of support and encouragement!

We had what should have been our last OB appointment this past Thursday. We’re moving along in the dilation department, but the little stinker still wasn’t dropping down into the necessary position. We’re told that once the baby drops, given the amount of dilation, everything should move along very quickly.

We have family and friends on standby (thank you family and friends!), and our bag is packed and ready to go!

Assuming nothing happens over the weekend, we have a non-stress test scheduled on Monday to make sure the baby’s still OK, and then we’ll have another appointment with the OB on Thursday, if necessary, for another non-stress test and to decide how to proceed, and if induction will be necessary. We’re kind of opposed to the idea of induction, it being an often slippery-slope-y kind of thing that all too frequently seems to lead to unwanted c-sections, but we’ll do what we have to do based on what we know, and that’s really all we can do.

It’s also with some emotion that we’ll be retiring the countdown widget that’s been on the sidebar of this site for the last 9 months… It’s been a handy reminder of where we were and how far we had yet to go. A great big thanks to the folks at babystrology.com, for their handy-dandy widget!

Once again, once we know more and have more info, we’ll certainly post about it here. Who knows, it could still happen today…today’s just starting! We’re certainly ready–Stacey especially. :)

We’d like to try again. To that end, we’ve updated the page and we’re going to try and continue to update it with a bit more regularity.

We’re also working on the pictures thing. Still. Alex has in no way been satisfied with the various photo solutions, so there’s a mix of different things here and there that we’ve tried (won’t bore you with the technical details), and you’ll likely see a few more as we move forward. Bear with us, and just take the pictures any way you can get ‘em for now, OK? ;)

ALSO, PLEASE HELP US: If you interact with Benjamin and have heard a word or phrase that’s not listed on his Words page, let us know! If you have any pictures of Benjamin (or any of his relatives!) that you think would be great to have posted here on the website, that would be great too! Benjamin loves it when we read posts here to him about things he’s done, places he’s been, people he’s visited, etc, and he loves the (so very few so far) pictures we’ve posted.

We really do want to create as thorough a record of his life with words and pictures as we can, so we have memories for ourselves and for him…and for you, too. Any contribution(s) you make to this effort would be very much appreciated by all of us here! :)